A gaggle of Spurs linkage

We had an abundance of quality Spurs material pop up around the Interweb today.

* Sports Illustrated’s Rob Mahoney, with a healthy assist from the E-N’s own Mike Monroe, explores the selflessness of Manu Ginobili, who continues to check what little ego he has at the door in order to fill whatever role Gregg Popovich sees fit. In this case, it’s coming off the bench — again.

* Ball Don’t Lie’s ridiculously thorough preview of the Spurs, whom it predicts will go 58-24 but touches on the dilemma they face in regards to depth: As important as the supporting cast is during the regular season, the inability of Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili to carry larger portions of the load in the playoffs could again be their undoing.

* Another basketball nerd — and we use that term with extreme affection — uses his own special formula to predict how the Spurs will fare this season. This one comes up with an over/under of 55.5 victories, trailing the Lakers (58) and Oklahoma City (60.5) in the Western Conference.

* Not that it matters much around these parts any more, but SI’s excellent Point Forward blog also brings us the career of Eddy Career in pictures now that said career might be over. (No photoshopping, however, which is a mandatory two-point markdown.)